Howard Tech was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their 13th straight loss. They wound up on the wrong side of a tough 8-2 walloping at the hands of the East Ridge Pioneers. That's two games in a row now that Howard Tech has lost by exactly six runs.
Brayden Slay made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Even though they lost, Howard Tech didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with 11 strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as East Ridge only tossed seven.
On East Ridge's side, Dylan Owens was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out seven over 6.1 innings pitched. Owens has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances. Owens was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Austin Wallace, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases and an RBI. Jacob Davis was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
Howard Tech's defeat dropped their record down to 2-21. As for East Ridge, their victory ended a ten-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 3-17.
Howard Tech will be playing at home against Sale Creek at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Sale Creek will roll in looking for their eighth straight win, something Howard Tech surely won't give up without a fight. As for East Ridge, they will head out on the road to face off against Bledsoe County at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. East Ridge and Bledsoe County are at an even 4-4 over their past eight head-to-heads.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
